Once upon a time, the only student housing options for college students were dorms with shared baths and a communal lounge. Times have changed, however, with today’s on- and off-campus choices vastly improved. Among the trends you and your coed can expect to find:

Amenities

Resorts, luxe apartment rental and condo buildings, and upscale family homes are influencing a new generation of student housing with plentiful amenities not associated in years past with dorm or even off-campus living. Among the more popular are reliable Wi-Fi, saltwater pools with decks, fire pits and grills, coffee bars, well-equipped gyms and specialty studios for Pilates and yoga, bicycle racks and repair shops, study carrels and sometimes parking.

Pedestrian proximity

A desire for walkability is changing where houses and apartment buildings are constructed for young professionals and boomers in cities and suburbs nationwide. This has trickled down to college campuses and surrounding areas, so students don’t have to venture far afield. On campuses where land is available, university and private partnerships are delivering housing within steps of classrooms and activity centers. When land on campus is not available, many developers work to secure sites as close as possible, so students can walk or bicycle to save time and for safety.

Privacy

Many college students are used to having their own rooms at home, and sometimes a bath. This has changed the typical roommate arrangement of two roomies to a room who share a bath, often with many others on the same hall. Now individual bedrooms in off-campus housing are most often arranged in a unit or apartment with a private bath for each bedroom. Sometimes, two, three, four, five and even six of these bedrooms and baths are grouped together, and the roommates share one communal living room-kitchen and laundry.

Safety

Much to the delight of students and their parents, it’s easy to secure both a building and an individual unit through new technology on Smartphone and tablet apps, surveillance cameras and keyless cards, as well as old-fashioned locks and alarms. Sometimes the new buildings are even being built in gated-style settings staffed by full-time personnel. Lighting along walkways is an additional perk.

Retail

While many investors prefer to see student housing filled with as many units as possible, some cities like to incorporate shops and restaurants when granting approval for development of a site.